QATAR AIRWAYS ENTERS ‘LAX’ WITH SWAGGER
(Posted 13th January 2016)
Qatar Airways’ Group CEO Akbar Al Baker was joined on the high table yesterday by Mr. Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of the City of Angels, aka Los Angeles or in airline speak LAX, when the celebrations took off after the inaugural nonstop flight from Doha had touched down on New Year’s Day.
‘Los Angeles is one of the great centres of world aviation and will become a vital component in our expanding global network’ said Mr. Al Baker before adding: ‘We look forward to introducing Angelenos to our award-winning signature service, with access to more than 150 destinations around the world, through our central hub in Doha. Thank you to everyone who has made this historic route possible’.
In addition to greater choice for passengers, Mr. Al Baker also talked about the increased cargo capacity made available by the new Los Angeles service before announcing a fourth dedicated weekly freighter which will serve LAX starting 19th of January. Qatar Airways is today the world’s third largest international cargo carrier and has served the Los Angeles market since 2015.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti then had the Qatari delegation smile when he said: ‘I am pleased to welcome Qatar Airways’ new service between LAX and Doha. This new international flight will add more than $600 million to our economy, boost our growing tourism sector, and support thousands of new jobs for Angelenos. It’s exciting to see LAX take yet another step forward as it continues to extend its reach across the globe’ no doubt music in the ears of the Qataris who had of late been subjected to a series of verbal assaults from the United States’ three leading international airlines over alleged state subsidies, something Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad have strenuously denied.
While the first flights from Doha to Los Angeles took place already on the 01st of January, New Year’s Day, were the celebrations scheduled for the more convenient 12th of January when all invited guests were back in the city from their end of year festive season break, able to see Mariah Carey perform for invited guests at the official launch in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The new route was launched as the airline continues to expand and enhance services across the United States. Los Angeles is the 8th US destination for Qatar Airways, with additional services planned to Boston 16th of March and Atlanta on the 01st of June. Additionally is a second daily flight scheduled from Doha to New York’s JFK Airport in April. In another first has Qatar Airways also deployed the Airbus A350XWB on the daily route to Philadelphia, this aircraft being presently the only such state of the art plane operating into the US.
With now 175 aircraft on the fleet does Qatar Airways serve some 150 destinations around the world and continues to expand as the airline awaits delivery of a further 300 plus brand new aircraft including 100 Boeing B777X, 37 Boeing B787-8’s and 14 Boeing B777’s, worth tens of billions of US Dollars for the US aircraft manufacturing industry.
From East Africa does Qatar Airways connect passengers out of Entebbe, Kigali, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar via Doha to the new destinations and all other 140 plus cities around the world. Other countries served in the wider region are Ethiopia with destination Addis Ababa, Eritrea through Asmara and Djibouti.
